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Tuesday, December 30, 2008
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Hoge, Aitkin cruise AREA GIRLS' BASKETBALL Sports Writer AITKIN - Sara Hoge doesn't need attention, but she may get it now.
A relatively quiet start to the point guard's season helped the Aitkin Gobblers senior go under the McGregor Mercuries' defensive radar.
She made them pay with 14 first-half points to lift the Gobblers to a 65-23 victory Monday in the first round of the Aitkin Quarterbacks Holiday Tournament.
Hoge finished with a game-high 18 points. She shot 6-of-13 from field and 6-of-8 from the line. Her first eight points helped Aitkin to a 20-2 run to start the game.
"McGregor was trying to do a triangle-and-two and take away Emily (Mehr) and Meredith (Chaput)," Aitkin head coach Rob Williams said. "So we spread the floor and put Sara out on the wing and swung the ball around, and the first thing she does is bury the long shot. The next time down she drives and gets the layup and then they can't run the triangle-and-two anymore."
Last season, Hoge averaged 10.8 points a game. She had been hovering around that number this season until Monday's performance. She was one of three Gobblers to reach double figures. Chaput scored nine points in the first half and eight in the second to finish with 17. Mehr scored 10 of her 11 points in the first half as the Gobblers improved to 7-1.
"We have good shooters all the way around so if I don't score it's either Emily, Meredith or Lauren (Landrus) and people who come off the bench," Hoge said. "It really doesn't bother me as long as we're winning."
Aitkin held the Mercs to 15-percent shooting in the first half. McGregor attempted as many free throws, 13, as it did field goals. That's because the Gobblers' defense forced 19 turnovers and turned those into 28 first-half points.
Six Gobblers scored in that frame as they shot 62 percent from the field to build a 42-9 halftime lead.
"We have offensive threats, but we still feed off of our defensive and the ability to create stops and turnovers and then get those transition buckets,"
Gobblers 65, McGregor 23
Key: Aitkin forced 25 turnovers and had three players score in double figures
Overall: A 7-1, M 2-3
Next: Aitkin vs. Cass Lake-Bena in championship at Aitkin 2 p.m. Tuesday
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Williams said. "All of a sudden we start getting those easy buckets and then our jump shots start falling and our whole offense picks up in intensity."
In the second half, Landrus scored all eight of her points to keep Aitkin far enough ahead to induce running time. Aitkin shot 55 percent from the field, but more important to Williams, played close to its level against the younger McGregor team.
"Coach Williams told us to play at our level," Hoge said. "It wasn't probably the best game that we've played, but at least we got it done."
The Gobblers play Cass Lake-Bena, which defeated Hill City 70-42 in the other semifinal, in the championship.
McGregor 9 14 - 23
Aitkin 42 23 - 65
McGREGOR
Casey Pierce 3, Hope Sorensen 4, Courtney Kruse 4, Sarah Sample 7, Grace Sorensen 5. Team totals: FG 7-28 (25 percent), FT 9-18 (50 percent), 3-point baskets: 0-0.
AITKIN
Allie Carlson 3, Kelsey Klucas 2, Lauren Landrus 8, Lena Montano 6, Sara Hoge 18, Meredith Chaput 17, Emily Mehr 11. Team totals: FG 26-47 (55 percent), FT 11-21 (52 percent), 3-point baskets: 0-3.
JEREMY MILLSOP may be reached at jeremy.millsop@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5856.
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